EAST PROVIDENCE — In the face of rising COVID-19 case numbers and attempting to take advantage of the Thanksgiving Week recess, the East Providence School District administration has canceled in-person instruction for Monday, Nov. 23, and Tuesday, Nov. 24.

Superintendent Kathryn Crowley made the announcement Wednesday evening, Nov. 18. All students and staff will engage in distance learning before the scheduled holiday break next week. The superintendent is hoping the switch to virtual learning will offer a respite from the recent onslaught of affirmative coronavirus results in the district.

"We have so many people who have it or are in quarantine because of contact tracing, and we have others who are sick (unrelated to COVID) and we're telling them not to come in, that we have no other choice," Superintendent Crowley explained.

"Wednesday (November 25) is already a state-wide day off, and we're out the rest of the week as well, I just didn't feel comfortable that we would be able properly staff all the buildings," she added.

An outbreak of the virus among personnel at East Providence High School earlier this week already led the administration to shift all instruction there online for  November 19 and 20.

The superintendent said as of the night of November 18, the Rhode Island Department of Health had confirmed between 44-48 positive COVID-19 results for district personnel.

When taking them in concert with others deemed close contacts, the superintendent said off-hand, without looking at the number precisely, she "couldn't fathom" how many staff and students in district are in quarantine at the moment.

Of the situation in the East Providence Schools as a whole, she added, "It's quite daunting...It's overwhelming, really."